


Sea of Blue

by secretsofthesky



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Chic and Betty are twins, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Online Friendship, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:40:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23953978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretsofthesky/pseuds/secretsofthesky
Summary: “Hate to cut this date short-”“This was not a date.”“-but I gotta go. Want a ride home? You’ll get to be right up against me and have your arms wrapped around my stomach that you were checking out a little bit ago.” He winked at her and Betty’s entire face heated. “It would probably make Andrews jealous too, seeing you pull up on my bike. I’d be sure to rev the engine extra loud to make sure we got his attention.”
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 13
Kudos: 120





	Sea of Blue

* * *

Betty Cooper wrapped her lips around the straw of her milkshake and sent a look she hoped was seductive to the redheaded boy sitting across from her. 

Unfortunately, his eyes were trained on the brunette beside her though - as always.

Despite knowing that it was utterly cliche to be lusting after her brother’s best friend who only looked at her like a kid sister - _even though she was only a minute younger than Chic_ \- she had faith that one day he would finally look at her differently.

Well, she _did_ have faith.

That changed a bit when Veronica Lodge moved to town and so very easily caught Archie’s attention - attention Betty had been doing everything she could to win for years.

But Betty Cooper was _not_ a quitter, and until Veronica and Archie stopped dancing around each other and made it official, there was still a chance - albeit a very slim one - but a chance nonetheless. And she refused to give up.

When she watched Archie’s cheeks tinge pink, she followed his gaze to Veronica who was running a tongue over her bottom lip, lapping up drops of vanilla shake.

Her hope dimmed a bit more.

“We’re gonna head home,” Chic, who had been seated across from V, told her as he stood and shrugged his jacket on. “You coming?”

Betty glanced out the window, worrying her lip as she listened to Archie offer Veronica a ride. It was embarrassing enough that her obvious attempts at getting his attention had been ignored all day, but there was no way she was going to walk out and get in her brother's car to go home like some little kid while Archie left with Veronica. 

She glanced back at Chic when he said her name. “I’m going to hang out a little bit more.”

When he quirked an eyebrow at her in question, she just nodded reassuringly. “Call me when you wanna come home then-” he grabbed his keys from his pocket and spun them around his finger “-unless Polly’s out and can grab you. Might as well make herself useful while she’s home for Spring break.”

With a quick goodbye to everyone - and a promise to hang out with V the next day even though she knew all talk would be about Archie since the girl was as oblivious to Betty’s crush as Archie himself was - she watched silently as they all paid for their food and exited the diner. 

Slumping in her the booth seat, she watched through the windows as Archie held his car door open for Veronica, wishing it was her that he was holding it for. But in the next second, she was straightening in her seat again as Archie turned and jogged back toward the diner. 

He was wearing a smile as he approached the table, eyes locked with her own, and her heart hammered with every step he took.

“Hey,” he greeted, speaking to her for the first time that day other than the distracted goodbye he’d given her moments before. Straightening her shoulders, she sent him her biggest smile before opening her mouth to reply but before she could utter a single syllable, he was diving into the booth and grabbing the keys he had left on the bench. “Can’t go anywhere without these. See ya, Betty.”

She managed to hold her smile until he was gone again, though it had dimmed from her eyes, and then slowly let it fall, trying not to let the disappointment completely consume her.

“God, that’s so pathetic.”

Her head spun around at the voice and her eyes were instantly met with a dark pair filled with mirth.

Her eyes only narrowed for a moment before she turned back around, deciding to ignore him, not in the mood for one of their usual squabbles.

“He’s clearly not interested.” The amused voice drifted over to her again followed by the thump of his heavy boots hitting the floor as he hopped off his stool at the counter. “His eyes were all over that brunettes rack. He didn’t even notice you sitting there.”

Jughead Jones walked over and slid into the booth seat that her brother and Archie had just vacated, his presence making the booth feel smaller than it had been a few minutes prior with three other people in it due to his height and dominating presence. His beanie sat lopsided atop his head, partially hiding his messy dark locks and his flannel shirt was stretched over broad shoulders and pulled up to his elbows, his tattoos on full display as he reached across the table and grabbed her milkshake, taking a drink without even asking her.

Betty glared, pushing it back to him when he set it back down. “You can have it now.”

“Don’t want my cooties, Cooper?” he teased before tossing the rest of it back and setting the glass down. His tongue darted out to grab the drops of strawberry that landed just below his bottom lip and Betty couldn’t avert her eyes from the action and regretted not being able to when he caught her staring and smirked. 

She rolled her eyes, sitting back in the booth, and crossing her arms. “What do you want, _Jones_?”

Jughead put a hand to his chest, feigning hurt. “You don’t want my company?”

Betty’s glare intensified, his words still repeating in her head.

_Pathetic._

_He didn’t even notice you sitting there._

She feigned boredom. “Does anyone _ever_ want your company?”

He only grinned.

Their back and forth was something she was used to and had been going on for years. Jughead Jones, son of the Serpent leader, along with the rest of Southside High had transferred to Riverdale freshman year - much to pretty much everyone’s dismay - and he had been the bane of her existence ever since. The only two people who disliked him more were Archie and Chic - their rivalry with Jughead and his friends being well known throughout the town.

“Well, at least I’m _acknowledging_ you - unlike the ginger.” Jughead pointed out. “When are you going to give up?”

Betty drew in a sharp intake of breath, his words feeling like a stab to her chest.

Yes, Archie was completely oblivious to her crush, along with Veronica and even Betty’s own brother.

No one had a clue.

Except for the boy sitting across from her. Somehow he'd known from the second he met her.

And he never failed to remind her how stupid she was for it.

“Why do you care so much?”

Jughead chuckled. “About you and the pretty boy? I don’t .” 

“Yet you continue to bring it up whenever you can.” Her foot touched his boot under the table and she quickly jerked it away when he quirked an eyebrow suggestively.

“Well, it’s kind of embarrassing to watch.” Jughead stretched, the movement causing his shirt to lift and reveal a tanned stomach. She looked away, her face flushing. She may have hated him, but she couldn't deny he _was_ nice to look at.

“Maybe you should stop watching then.”

Jughead shrugged. “I can’t help it. Seeing you trying so hard and him not even noticing is like a trainwreck. I just can’t look away.”

Her anger flared. “You’re such an asshole.”

Jughead leaned across the table, his strawberry breath fanning her face. “I am. But I speak the truth - whether you want to hear it or not.”

Betty’s irritation grew and she dug her nails into her palms, preparing to lay into him when the door to Pop’s opened again and Sweet Pea called his name. Jughead glanced over his shoulder to nod at the boy before turning back to her with a lopsided grin. “Hate to cut this date short-”

“This was _not_ a date.”

“-but I gotta go. Want a ride home? You’ll get to be right up against me and have your arms wrapped around my stomach that you were checking out a little bit ago.” He winked at her and Betty’s entire face heated. “It would probably make Andrews jealous too seeing you pull up on my bike. I’d be sure to rev the engine extra loud to make sure we got his attention.”

She actually entertained the thought for a moment before she pushed it away - knowing his reason for the offering. “I will never be a pawn for you to use to get at Archie and Chic.”

Jughead chuckled, shaking his head. “A pawn?” He shrugged. “If that’s what you think, Cooper.” He stood up from the table and threw a couple of bills down, enough to cover her drink and a tip. “Until next time.”

Her eyes followed him as he left and watched him get on his bike and rev it a few times, turning to meet her eye in the window, knowing she was watching him, before speeding off.

Yeah, everyone was oblivious to her crush except for the one person who would use it against her in a second.

And she dreaded the day when he finally decided to.

* * *

Jughead walked into the small trailer he shared with his father and pulled off his flannel and beanie, tossing them on a chair before flopping onto the couch and grabbing his laptop.

He opened it up, logging into his account for school and grinned when he noticed a certain screen name was online.

Clicking on it, he shot a message to the girl he had found himself wanting to talk to all day.

_**Hey you.** _

He knew it was crazy, and he still couldn’t believe he had somehow ended up talking to someone he didn’t even know for the past couple of months, but after an argument on a Riverdale High forum led to annoyed DM’s, and then one discussion turned into another - they had realized they actually had quite a bit in common and had formed a friendship. If you could call two people who had no idea who the other one was a friendship.

His heart started to beat a little faster when her chat bubble glowed, signaling she was writing back.

_**Hey! I was just about to head to bed. I didn’t have the best day.** _

_**Bad day? What happened?** _

They rarely talked about their personal lives and instead stuck to general topics, both not wanting to share too much and reveal who they were. For him, it was because he didn’t want to lose this friendship that meant so much to him over her finding out he was what most of Riverdale considered Southside scum. As for her, he wasn’t sure of her reasons but never bothered asking, appreciating that she had so far respected his.

**_Just had a run-in with someone that always knows how to get under my skin._ **

It was crazy how his first instinct was wanting to protect her when he’d never even met her face to face.

_**Want to talk about it?** _

She didn’t write anything for a few moments before the icon signaled that she was typing again.

_**I was at Pop’s and some jerk just decided that it would be entertaining to make me feel like crap.** _

His heart began to pound for an entirely different reason now. There was no way...

_**What did they do?** _

He found himself holding his breath as he awaited her reply. 

_**It’s a guy who’s had it out for me for a while. He just decided to remind me how pathetic I am. It’s no big deal.** _

Jughead fell back into the couch, bringing both of his hands up to run through his hair and gripping it, his stomach in his throat.

_Betty Cooper._

He was talking to Betty _fucking_ Cooper and she was currently confiding in him, not realizing she was talking to the guy who had made her feel like crap to start with.

Like crap? He cringed. Sure he teased her about her stupid obsession with Andrews but he didn’t know it actually bothered her. Annoyed her? Yeah. But it was never his intention to ever be cruel. It was just their thing. The banter.

Suddenly how they had started talking online and their back and forth all began to make sense. Everything she had told him the past couple of months started to fit together like a puzzle - a puzzle that formed the picture of a pretty blonde girl who hated him.

_**I’m sorry.** _

He wrote the words, more meaning behind them than she would realize. 

_**It’s okay. I’m just gonna head to bed and try to forget about him. No all-night chats tonight! Lol. I’ll owe you one though ;)** _

Jughead swallowed slowly, staring at the words.

_**No problem. Goodnight.** _

When she replied back, wishing him sweet dreams, he closed the laptop and pushed it away, closing his eyes as he laid his head back against the couch.

Betty Cooper was the girl he had been talking to? The one that had controlled his thoughts nonstop, the girl he looked forward to talking to every night?

Betty Cooper, sister to the biggest douchebag in town who had devoted his life to making Jughead’s and the rest of the Serpents’ hell since their transfer to Riverdale.

_Fuck._

Well, things definitely just got interesting.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @secretsofthesky


End file.
